Looking for source of a Buddha "do not believe" quote

[alexander]

Howdy: I don't have much time to participate in the group - mainly
lurking. Still, I wanted to post this nice quote that I understand is
is from the Buddha and see if anyone can identify its origin. I must
confess that I know little about the sources of Buddhist philosophy/
theology, or its practices. I'm guessing that there are scriptures
from which all branches/schools of Buddhism derive their teachings. I
gather that there must in the past have been some manner of recording
the words of Buddha (no doubt an oral tradition initially), and that
the teachings are organized into distinct volumes, yes? Can anyone
point me towards an overview that might have a searchable index which
can lead me to the book or volume containing this quote:

"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it.
Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by
many.
Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your
religious books.
Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers
and elders.
Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for
many generations.
But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees
with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all,
then accept it and live up to it."

Thanks
Al Gabis
Fairfield, Iowa, USA

[Rob]

Hi Alexander,

The passage quoted is a rough translation of the Buddha's Discourse to
the Kalamas, the citizens of a place in India called Kesaputta.
There are many Buddhist Scriptures and there is one complete or almost
complete set from what is called the Southern School i.e. the Buddhism
of Thailand, Sri Lanka and Cambodia etc. which is known as the Pali
Canon as it is written in the ancient Pali language - a colloquial
form of Sanskrit. You are right that the Suttas were not initially
written down but memorised and recited orally, but they were
transcribed onto palm leaves about four or five hundred years after
the Buddha's death and the palm leaves were kept in 3 baskets. Hence
they were known as "Tipitaka" or " 3 Baskets" of the teachings; the
baskets were divided into collections of "sayings" called "Nikayas".
The Kalama Sutta is to be found in Book I of the Anguttara Nikaya (the
"Gradual Sayings") at page 189. You can find a good translation of
this and of much of the Pali Canon at www.accesstoinsight.org - a
wonderful site for explaining and teaching Buddhism.

The background to the Sutta is that in ancient India as there is today
there were many holy men and religious orders and groups with their
leaders and teachings, and they would wander around all over the place
spreading their message. The people of Kesaputta were very
interested in spirituality and in finding the true path but every
teacher who came through told them that theirs was the true teaching
and everyone else was wrong; so they got very confused. One day they
heard that the Buddha was coming and that he was a very respected
teacher and said to be enlightened; so they decided to ask him how
they could distinguish between all these different teachings and find
out which was right. The Buddha started by saying "Yes, Kalamas, it
is proper that you have doubt, that you have perplexity, for a doubt
has arisen in a matter which is doubtful." Then he gave them the
advice roughly translated in your passage that they should not place
reliance on scriptures or traditions or even on respected teachers,
but should judge things by the wisdom and authority of their own
hearts. A better transation of the end of the Sutta is "When you
know for yourselves - these things are moral, these things are
blameless, these things are praised by the wise, these things, when
performed and undertaken, conduce to well-being and happiness - then
do you live and act accordingly."

Rob.